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"Since the cancellation of the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle in 2011, the Navy and Marine Corps have wrestled with what the right distance is for the Marines to disembark the ship and what type of vehicle that should be in. This is not an easy debate and is one I am sure we will talk more about today. However, there is more to this than just what distance an amphibious ships should launch its vehicles from or what type of vehicles those should be. Our military is a joint force and will always operate that way in any contingency, so we need to be talking about how to fully integrate our amphibious forces and ensure they are leveraging the technologies that are other forces are relying on. "

“A college education is one of the most valuable investments a family can make but rising costs often make it difficult for students to attend without borrowing enormous amounts of debt,” said Courtney. “Compounding the issue for families is the fact that student loans often come with higher interest rates than mortgages, car loans, and other forms of consumer lending which can be refinanced. This bill will help ease the burden of student debt by finally allowing undergraduate borrowers to refinance their loans and take advantage of today’s new lower rates. Student debt hinders our economy because it delays or prevents borrowers from making other major investments including purchasing a home, starting a business, or simply saving for retirement. A college degree has become a critical part of securing a good-paying career and that is why keeping college affordable must be a top priority in Washington. I will continue to work to keep the dream of college within reach for Connecticut families.”

“It hard to imagine why the White House is considering slashing the funding for the primary agency leading anti-drug efforts in the midst of a nationwide drug abuse epidemic,” said Courtney. “I urge the president’s key advisors to meet with local law enforcement officials battling drug abuse on the front lines like I have done in the past to better understand how their departments utilize federal funding in the fight against prescription opioid and heroin abuse. Local police and health professionals on the front lines of this epidemic tell me that the primary reason we are losing the battle against opioids is lack of resources at every level. The bipartisan letter signed by more than sixty of my colleagues today from both parties demonstrates that the administration will face stiff opposition to any proposed funding cut for drug abuse prevention and treatment.”

"The sudden and non-transparent firing of Director James Comey who is spearheading the investigation of Russian influence on 2016 election does not pass the smell test," said Courtney. "The 10-year term for an FBI directors was intentionally created to avoid this kind of rash turnover. President Trump's explanation that it was based on AG Sessions recommendation- a political appointee who barely survived confirmation in the Senate - does little to reassure the country and if anything raises more doubt about the motives of this stunning development."

“Australia is one of our closest allies on the global stage and a key strategic partner in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Courtney. “Today, we remember the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea, a significant historical moment when U.S. and Australian Naval forces fought side by side to ensure allied victory in the Pacific. As I said to Ambassador Hockey earlier this year, I look forward to working with my colleagues on the caucus to strengthen the unshakable strategic, economic, and cultural bonds we share with the Australian people.”

“Just one month ago, Paul Ryan pulled the GOP healthcare bill minutes before a scheduled vote because support had collapsed in the face of vehement opposition from organizations such as the American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association, the American Cancer Society, the Heart Association, the Lung Association, doctors and nurses,” said Courtney. “The groups denounced this bill after the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office found it would eliminate healthcare coverage for 24 million Americans. Today, Paul Ryan brought the bill back with changes to placate the most extreme elements of his party that in the words of the American Hospital Association will make ‘a bad bill even worse.’ The revised bill weakens protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and dismantles requirements that health insurance plans must cover maternity care, mental health services, addiction treatment, emergency room care, and bans on lifetime limits for coverage, just to name a few. The bill still raids the Medicare trust fund, rolls back Medicaid, and raises premiums on Americans over the age of 50. For those who frustrated with weaknesses in the existing law – this bill does nothing to address those and in fact greatly exacerbates them. I implore the Senate to scuttle this deeply flawed measure and give us the opportunity to enact real fixes to the healthcare system that Congress can consider on a bipartisan basis.”

“While this should have been completed last year, I am pleased that members from both sides of the aisle finally came together to pass a fair and bipartisan spending bill to close out the fiscal year,” said Courtney. “Our military leaders and industry have been clamoring for the budget certainty they need to move forward on a wide range of programs and priorities. This could have been finalized months ago, and it is my hope thebipartisan framework passed today can serve as a model for avoiding similar delays on the 2018 budget. As ranking member of the Seapower subcommittee, I am pleased that this measure reflects many of the priorities I have worked on including robust investment in our undersea forces. I am proud to have fought for key investments in programs important to Connecticut that will contribute to our state’s growing manufacturing resurgence and our nation’s security.”

“While this should have been finalized last year, I am pleased that members from both sides of the aisle finally came together to pass a fair and bipartisan spending bill to close out the fiscal year,” said Courtney. “The bill that passed today is good news for Connecticut’s defense industry and our economy as a whole. It contains funding for all of Connecticut’s top-defense manufacturing priorities, including $85 million in advanced procurement funding for Virginia-class submarines produced at Electric Boat. Additionally, despite the Trump administration’s directives to cut funding for domestic priorities such as the National Institutes of Health, Meals on Wheels, SeaGrant, and after school programs, Republicans joined with Democrats in rejecting those harmful cuts. There is little doubt that many of the domestic priorities that Americans rely on will come under attack again during future budget negations with the White House, but I hope the bipartisan framework passed in the House today can serve as a model as we begin to get a very late start on the 2018 budget.”